Considering the Courage and Practice of Teaching

A conversation with Parker Palmer and Maryellen Weimer

If you could listen to a conversation between two highly respected professionals in the field about what matters most in teaching, who would they be? For us, it’s Parker Palmer and Maryellen Weimer.

Parker Palmer, Ph.D., author of The Courage to Teach and Maryellen Weimer, Ph.D., editor of The Teaching Professor newsletter, have inspired countless conversations about why we teach and how we can find it in ourselves to bring out the best in our students.

They are each known for their passion and recognition that teachers experience both success and frustration when working with students. For the first time, they come together to talk about the underpinnings of their approaches to their work as teachers.

We were lucky enough to record this conversation between them. Here’s a brief clip of what transpired:

Their 60-minute conversation is not about ticking off a list of teaching tips. Instead, it gets to the heart of why teachers teach. Drs. Parker and Weimer discuss the critical—and difficult—role of self-knowledge as a precursor to your work with students. The conversation will give you something to reflect on now … and revisit in years to come.

Considering the Courage and Practice of Teaching revolves around the following questions:

Why does effective teaching require courage?

How does knowing why you teach change the way you teach?

Many teachers lose heart as the years go by. What is required for healing?

If your objective is to create a community in your classroom, how do you set rules and policies that support learning?

For many, instruction is either teacher-centered or learner-centered. Can good teaching be both?

What should we do about our shortcomings as teachers?

Whether you are a new or experienced faculty member who ended your semester on a high note or a low note, you’ll gain insight, inspiration, and validation from this impassioned conversation. Listening to Drs. Palmer and Weimer, you’ll have no doubt that finding the fortitude to teach past the challenges you face can produce deep joy and satisfaction.

The editors at Magna Publications believe that this is one of the best productions we’ve ever done. As such, we’d like to make it affordable for everyone. For a limited time, we are offering this program at a price that simply covers our costs. You can get on-demand access of the video for 30 days for just $29 or purchase the video on CD for $49. Both options include the complete transcript.

An optional Campus Access License is available for an additional $100. It allows the purchasing institution to upload the CD of the seminar onto the institution’s password-protected internal website for unlimited access by the entire campus community.

Don’t miss this uplifting conversation from two of the world’s most respected voices in higher education!